Jordan, Qatar Deepen Political And Economic Ties As Leaders Meet In Amman

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Sept 17 (Petra) – Jordanian-Qatari relations are rapidly improving on both the political and economic fronts, thanks to strong leadership commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and establishing a strategic partnership between the two nations.
The visit of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Jordan and his meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II marked a pivotal moment in ties between Amman and Doha. The talks extended beyond politics to cover economic, investment and strategic integration at a time when the region faces a pressing need for effective development alliances.
According to official data, Jordan's imports from Qatar reached more than JD60 million in the first half of this year, while Jordanian exports to the Qatari market were close to JD58 million. These included food products such as rice, cheese, vegetables and fruit, while Qatari exports to Jordan were mainly chemicals, aluminum billets, steel bars and fertilizers.
On the Amman Stock Exchange, Qatar ranks eighth among investing nationalities, with holdings valued at about JD633 million, or roughly 2.5% of the bourse's total market value, according to the Securities Depository Center. Qatar is also a key destination for Jordanian labor, hosting more than 60,000 Jordanians in sectors including education, health, and financial services, underscoring the depth of human and economic ties.
Experts told the Jordan News Agency (Petra) the two countries now stand before a historic opportunity to bolster their regional presence through a carefully structured economic partnership, grounded in strong political understanding, promising investment opportunities, and complementary capabilities.
Former deputy prime minister and economy minister Jawad Anani said the meeting between King Abdullah and Sheikh Tamim crowned a long-standing history of strong ties and showed a clear joint desire to reposition the relationship on strategic foundations.
He stressed that Jordan has consistently supported Qatar politically, particularly during crises, maintaining a principled stance built on mutual respect. Anani said relations should not be measured only by trade but by political depth and shared human bonds, adding that there are wide opportunities to boost cooperation in renewable energy, tourism, infrastructure, education and technology.
He noted Jordan offers stability and skilled human capital, while Qatar brings strong investment will and a drive to expand its regional footprint. "Economic cooperation must be reciprocal," Anani said, noting Jordan also invests in Gulf states, including Qatar, reflecting a shared wish for a balanced partnership.
Khaldoun Naseer, CEO of Afaq Group, said the King's meeting with Sheikh Tamim reflected the strength of brotherly ties and was a true launchpad for broader cooperation. He said reactivating the Jordanian-Qatari Higher Committee provides an institutional framework to expand investment horizons and open new avenues for sustainable growth.
He stressed the timing of the meeting was significant regionally and globally and highlighted the chance to expand joint investments, develop key sectors, and create jobs to drive growth. Jordan's private sector, he said, has the flexibility and expertise to build real partnerships with its Qatari counterpart, particularly after recent legislative and regulatory reforms that improved the investment climate.
Khalifa Al-Muslimani, vice-chairman of the Jordanian-Qatari Business Council at Qatar's Chamber of Commerce, said Sheikh Tamim's visit had clear economic and investment dimensions, providing a strong push to increase trade and expand investment in key sectors, including industry, services, tourism and technology.
He said talks between the two leaderships focused on activating joint economic committees, the main mechanism for coordinating efforts and following up on joint projects. "We see clear progress in economic cooperation, whether by opening new investment areas or supporting existing projects. This reflects the sincere wish of both sides to build a solid and sustainable economic relationship," he said.
Al-Muslimani added that the council continues working to facilitate communication between business leaders, provide platforms for knowledge exchange, and support efforts to improve Jordan's business environment, which has become more attractive after recent economic modernization measures.
Tariq Hijazi, director-general of the Jordanian Businessmen Association, said ties with Qatar are deeply rooted and steadily evolving in all fields, especially economy and investment. He underlined the need to boost trade by easing obstacles, facilitating the movement of goods, implementing existing trade agreements more swiftly and signing new ones, while encouraging mutual investments in promising sectors such as tourism, industry, renewable energy and information technology.
"These key sectors will push economic relations to broader horizons," Hijazi said, pointing to emerging opportunities in green economy projects, food security cooperation and partnerships in advanced technologies.

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